Chapter 1: The Vortex
“Main power failing!” Lt. Cdr. Taman Perul shouted over the cracks of electricity arcs reverberating through the Danube class runabout. “Route all power to the engines! We're going to make a final push!” the Bajoran ordered. “Aye sir.” acknowledged Lt. Zalak. Naturally the Vulcan displayed no emotion. The whine of the impulse engines gradually grew into a roar. A crackle of static sparked over the subspace communicator then a voice said, “Interstellar to Thames, do you read me?” then Perul replied, “Captain, our impulse engines and shields are failing. We need to get out of here. Now!” “We're doing all we can. Interstellar out.” On the bridge of the Prometheus class starship, captain James Hernandez was anxious. He was the one who chose to investigate the wormhole and his second officer was now in peril of being pulled into a void, possibly of no return. “Can we transport them outta there?” Hernandez asked his Chief engineer Zim Dodge. “Not a chance. There's too much EM interference. I can't get a lock!” The human replied. “Captain! Two Romulan warbirds decloaking off the port bow!” came a shout from Arran Jacobi, the operations officer. “Get a tractor beam on the Thames. Yellow alert. Shields up!” Suddenly klaxons flared and the bridge was bathed in a pool of flashing yellow light. “Hail the lead vessel” “They are responding.” Jacobi replied. “Onscreen.” “This is captain Zurok of the Imperial Romulan Warbird Genorex. You are officially violating our territory. Stand down or be destroyed!” “Zurok, we are not here to start a war! A shuttle with five of my crew has just fallen through that wormhole and we intend to get them back.” “OK. You have one earth hour captain. Genorex out.” The viewscreen went back to the panorama of space and Hernandez spoke up. “What the hell happened to the tractor beam!?” he shouted. “It got distorted by the gravitational forces captain.” “Captain, I have an Idea.” Jacobi said “If we engage Multi-Vector Assault Mode and fire a tractor beam from each of the segments it should work.” “Do it!” the captain shouted. “Engaging Multi-Vector Assault Mode now!” Jacobi replied. Suddenly all the lights turned blue and the computer went, “Ten seconds to separation... Nine... Eight... Seven... Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One... Separation sequence engaged.” There was a deep rumble and the sounds of mechanisms releasing and suddenly the ship was in three parts. The main saucer section, the upper engineering hull and the lower engineering hull. “Separation sequence completed. Manual control selected.” the computer said. “Captain! The Thames has been pulled into the wormhole!” Jacobi shouted. “Pursuit course. All power to the shields!” As the three separate ships went through the wormhole, power temporarily went down then flared back to life on the other side. “Report!” the captain bellowed. “The gravitational currents disrupted the plasma flow, temporarily causing power losses.” Dodge answered. “That could be why the Thames lost power.” Hernandez contemplated only to be interrupted by his chief of operations. “All segments report OK.” “Begin the operation.” “Jacobi to segment Beta. Go to position 232.5 mark 6. Segment Gamma, position 230 mark 3. All segments report ready captain.” “Engage the tractor beam.” “Tractor beam engaged. Transporters locked on. Jacobi to sickbay. We're beaming five casualties straight to you.” “Understood Commander.” came the reply. The Danube class runabout is guided by three beams of brilliant green light into the shuttle bay within segment gamma. “Captain! The wormhole is closing!” “Get us outta here! Quickly!” The power goes down again as they enter the wormhole. When they emerge, Hernandez taps his combadge and says, “Hernandez to sickbay.” “Sickbay here.” “How are our explorers?” “Three oxygen deprived. Our Vulcan has concussion and one with plasma burns.” “Thank you. Hernandez out.” “Captain! The Romulans are charging weapons!” Jacobi shouted. The viewscreen switches to the warbirds and green streaks of disruptor fire head towards the ship. “Red Alert! All hands man your battle stations! Ensign, attack pattern Delta-5. Return fire!” Hernandez orders. The warbirds are quickly left dead in the water by the nimble sections of starship. “Fire quantum torpedoes!” “Torpedoes away!” There is a whooshing noise as the blue dots leave the ship and hit home on the warbird's antimatter container tanks causing the warbird to explode and some fragments of wing ram into the Genorex causing a chain reaction which tore the retreating warbird in two. “Get us out of here before re-enforcements arrive. Maximum Warp! Mister Jacobi, initialize the re-intergration sequence. Stand down read alert.” As soon as he gave the order, the klaxons ceased flaring and the bridge lighting turned blue as the familiar computer voice said, “Re-integration in ten seconds... Nine... Eight... Seven... Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One... Re-integration sequence engaged.” Again there is a rumble and a jolt as the sections join together again. The only indicator of the separating ability is a hairline gap between where the segments join together. “Lieutenant,” Hernandez addressed his science officer, “what astrometric readings did we get? Where were we?” “It was a type 3 Wormhole with sharp EM spikes. According to the astrometrics laboratory we were 15,000 lightyears from the nearest known region. We were at the edge of the beta quadrant!” The young Andorian said. “Set a course for the nearest starbase.” Captain's log: Stardate 57337.8, We have rescued our crew successfully and they have all returned to duty with a clean bill of health. and I think it was a good effort for our first mission. We are currently en-route to starbase 475 for new orders and to pass on data about the wormhole. Discussion The Official Discussion for this Story is on the official Forum Links Taman Perul, James Hernandez, USS Interstellar, Zalak, Arran Jacobi, Multi-Vector Assault Mode Category:Stories Category:Volume 1